What changes for buyers
The DPE assesses a home’s energy performance. In 2026–2027, the way it accounts for electricity is changing. Before buying, examine three things: the apartment’s current rating, the building’s shared systems and the budget for necessary work.
Our article on the preliminary purchase contract includes the DPE in the seller’s document pack. There is now another question to ask: which calculation method produced the rating in the listing?
Two successive calculation changes
| Date | Electricity coefficient | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Before 2026 | 2.3 | Previous conversion of consumed electricity into primary energy |
| From 1 January 2026 | 1.9 | Used in new DPEs; valid existing documents can be updated through ADEME |
| From 1 January 2027 | 1.7 | Further change under the order of 19 August 2026 |
A lower coefficient reduces electricity’s calculated contribution. Some electrically heated apartments may receive a better rating. Service Public explains that the move to 1.7 will not itself worsen the rating; the result depends on the original property characteristics and electricity’s share.
Until 1 January 2027, the documents currently in force remain the reference for a purchase. Treat a future improvement as a possibility until the applicable certificate confirms it.
Updating a valid DPE
A free electronic certificate from ADEME is provided for, without another surveyor’s visit. It updates the rating using the original diagnostic inputs. It expires on the same date as the original DPE.
Ask the seller for both documents and compare the ADEME number, address, floor area and heating system. DPEs produced from 1 July 2021 generally remain valid for ten years from the original assessment.
The recalculation describes the home using a new method. The physical effects of refurbishment need a separate assessment: inspect windows, ventilation, insulation, summer overheating and damp.
Documents for the apartment and building
From 1 January 2026, the collective DPE also applies to smaller copropriétés — buildings with jointly owned common parts — with up to 50 lots inclusive. The obligation covers collective residential buildings whose planning permission application was submitted before 1 January 2013.
| Document | What it helps the buyer establish |
|---|---|
| Apartment DPE | Its rating and recommended improvements |
| Collective DPE | The building’s performance and shared systems |
| Works plan and meeting minutes | Proposed or approved work and how it will be funded |
| Quotes and technical reports | The cost of private work and the apartment’s share of common expenses |
Request these documents from the seller and syndic, the building manager. Individual and collective assessments answer different questions, so both matter.
Letting and refurbishment budgets
For ordinary main-residence lettings in mainland France, energy restrictions progressively cover rating G from 2025, F from 2028 and E from 2034. Their application depends on when the lease is concluded, renewed or extended. A poorly rated apartment can be sold; future letting requires checking the applicable rating and works timetable.
Separate work inside the apartment from collective decisions. Façade or roof insulation and changes to communal heating require the copropriété’s involvement. Check the approvals needed for an external air-conditioning unit, windows or solar shading.
The result should be a practical plan: necessary work, approvals, timing and the owner’s cost. That plan connects the DPE with future comfort and expenditure.
Sources and verification date
Checked on 21 September 2026. Observation periods and limitations are identified in the article.
